When the Cherry Blossoms Fall
by Oi-Ne
Summary: Kaoru is in an interrogation camp, during the war, after Kenshin leaves her all alone. She believes he's dead. A stranger is released to her cell, beginning a chain of events that will help her tell her story, and find a love long lost...


When the Cherry Blossoms Fall  
  
A/n: Okie dokey. I'm going to lay down the facts right now. I didn't actually come up with the name myself. Actually, there was a girl and I read her fic, and I loved it so much. I asked her permission to use it, but she never replied, and I can't put this fan fiction off any longer. Anyway, here it goes.  
  
"Ok woman, I'll ask you once more. What the hell is your relation to the Battousai?!"  
  
"You won't get an answer until you call him by his name!"  
  
The sound of flesh hitting flesh rang throughout a small, cold room, as a girl about 17 or 18 was smacked and fell to the floor. The attacker took out a katana and put it to her already bruised neck.  
  
"I'm giving you a chance to tell me. Unless you like the scent of your own blood." He smiled as a small cut appeared and blood trickled down her neck onto her yellowed and torn kimono. It needed to be changed; the last time it had been was the week before. The guard, the other, more kind one, had remarked that women should be treated with some manners, and given her a new one. However, that particular guard had died only a few days back. It seemed that many semi-good people died daily.  
  
"I..." A tear trickled down her cheek, as she sucked in a deep breath, and tried her hardest not to think of the threat perched upon her shoulders.  
  
"Come on, woman!"  
  
"His name is Himura Kenshin, not Battousai!"  
  
"That's it, you will die slowly!" The man raised his katana, and was ready to strike, before hand smiling maliciously.  
  
A door opened, and a voice from behind said, "You'll put that sword down now."  
  
The officer obeyed, reluctantly. The girl didn't look back; for fear that an even worse beating would unfold by a tougher guard. However, she heard warmth in the man's voice.  
  
"Are you harmed, Miss Kaoru?"  
  
She gasped. Only one person called her that! Smiling, she turned quickly.  
  
"You came for-" She cut herself off immediately, upon seeing the face that stood in the doorway, and spat at his feet. It was Jikoutsu. Hate filled her heart for this man, who had taken away everything from her, and slaughtered innocents.  
  
"Now now, let's not get angry." Still, he smiled at her. Just like Kenshin. "Hmm. Perhaps you should go back to your cell." Yet very unlike Kenshin.  
  
She rose and pushed past him as the guard followed her out the door, and to her cell, opening the barred door, and leaving her in there to her thoughts. Same routine. Everyday, her life was in danger, but there was nothing she could say or do. She swiftly walked and sat by the window. Here she had a good view of the cherry trees that were already in bloom. She began to think about the events leading up to this.  
  
A few samurai warriors walked down the hall outside of her cell. They seemed to be talking about a new prisoner that had been attained.  
  
"Yeah, I heard he killed 100 people, all in one significant move! We're real lucky to have captured that one! He was probably the one who was killing all our men, not the wild animals!"  
  
"I know. I heard he's the Legendary Hitokiri Battousai! I also heard that he's gonna be staying with that girl that was acquainted with him, or something. They're gonna kill her soon ya know, she's not giving them any new information. And besides, since they caught him, what's the point?!" The man laughed and pointed to her cell. Inside, she was as well laughing. Another poser, whom people called "Battousai". Stories like these haunted the halls of the place she now called home. "Battousai", it was a name that shouldn't be used so lightly. She had known the real one personally.  
  
"Yeah, but it's too bad. She would've made a very good whore, don't you think? She's a rather feisty one...That little wench is going to die, oh know!" The other man said in a mocking tone. The two passed on, laughing loudly.  
  
Kaoru bowed her head in shame. He had classified her with the lowest class in Japan. The prostitutes, and the entertainers. She shuddered, and lowered her head to cry. She just couldn't take it anymore. All of this being strong, through so much and she would die soon, because they caught a fake.  
  
A few hours later, Kaoru awoke to the sound of a guard's shuffling footsteps, followed by another person's. She sat up, and groggily fixed her hair and wiped her eyes. Then she went to the other side of the cell, as far away from the barred door as possible. She lay down in the hay, it was dark, and so he wouldn't see her. The new prisoner, the fake Battousai, had arrived.  
  
"Hey, I got a new inmate for you!" The guard laughed, as he shut the door, and she heard the other man fall to his knees in the hay, near the door.  
  
There was an awkward silence, but not for long. A few minutes later, a cracked voice asked, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get in here?" The man had sensed her presence in the dark cell.  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked, sniffing.  
  
The next time the man spoke, he sounded surprised. "I didn't know you were a woman." The man seemed to regain his composure. She sensed a new gentleness... almost a new tenderness, added to his voice. He continued, "What I meant was, why don't you tell me what happened to bring a woman... into a mess like this?"  
  
"I don't...I really don't feel like talking about it right now." She replied, not rudely, but sternly, thinking of the scene that had taken place not an hour before-hand.  
  
"I understand. It must not have been a very nice story anyway..." The man sighed.  
  
Kaoru felt tears well in her eyes. She didn't know why she was crying, but she couldn't help it. He....was so kind. It reminded her of Kenshin.... She burst into tears, and was slightly embarrassed, for she could feel his uneasiness in the air.  
  
"I...I'm sorry. Was it something I said, Miss?" This made her cry harder. Why did he have to be so nice?  
  
"Ya know, you remind me of someone I once knew." Kaoru said through her tears. This man had asked to hear what events led to her stay here. With a kindness like his, he deserved this simple request. "I've decided to tell you my story." She said firmly, stopping her tears.  
  
The man again sounded surprised, but in a different sort. "Alright." He said calmly. Then everything went quiet, as he waited for her story to start, like a child. She could hear his gentle breathing in the air, and it occurred to her that he had moved closer. How cold it was here in Hokkaido, unlike the springs she spent in Tokyo, with her friends...  
  
Kaoru realized her thoughts had wandered, and the man was waiting so patiently. "But...my tale is so long. I do not know where to begin!"  
  
"Why don't you just...begin from the beginning, Miss?" The man urged gently. Up until then Kaoru had been tense, but she relaxed a little. His voice had gotten smoother, yet still with that cracked sound to it, as if someone had ripped out his throat and haphazardly thrown it back in. However, it was soothing to her.  
  
"Well, it all started a few years ago. It was... I think, ten or eleven years after the Bakumatsu had ended, and the Meiji Era had begun. I was 17 then, and had my own dojo, since my parents had passed away. I was teaching my father's sword style, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu.  
  
A man named Gohei Hiruma was claiming to be the Legendary Battousai the Man Slayer and killing people each night. To add to that, he was telling everyone that he used the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu.  
  
That's when I met him..."  
  
"Who's him?"  
  
"Well...he had a cross shaped scar on his left cheek, and red hair. He stopped Gohei with his Sakabatou, when I failed. I asked him to stay with me, and...he accepted my offer. He was...."  
  
"The real Battousai." The man finished her sentence for her.  
  
"How...how did you know that?"  
  
"Well, it was simply by your description."  
  
"Oh. Uh, anyway...yeah, he was the real Battousai. But he helped people! I swear it! He saved people with his Sakabatou; it was how he repented for his sins in the Bakumatsu. And along the way, we gained many friends, like Sagara Sanosuke, Myojin Yahiko, Takahashi Megumi, and Makimachi Misao. Then there's Shinamori Aoshi.  
  
And you see...there were many times Kenshin left, and I had to just trust him to come back. You know, he always did, too. When he fought, he always promised, and always fulfilled his promise. Then, when he fought Shishio Makoto, he said he would never come back, that he would wander again...but...he still came. And it always made me so happy...because..."  
  
Kaoru choked on tears, trying to restrain them, yet they flowed down her cheeks anyway, and she stumbled over her next words.  
  
"I'm s-sorry..."  
  
"I believe I understand, Miss. No need to be sorry."  
  
She wiped her face on the sleeve of her kimono, and took a few deep breaths, then began her story again.  
  
"That's the way things were. He was always capable of doing anything. Until that one fateful day...To tell the truth, this is where it all really began; the events that led to my being here.  
  
"Yahiko! Yahiko, where are you?!" I looked around the yard for that sullen little brat. I was fed up with his laziness. A twig snapped in the tree overhead. I looked up, catching a glimpse of green Hakama just before Yahiko passed out of view, behind the green buds of the cherry blossoms. It was camouflaged... I muttered under my breath.  
  
"YAHIKO MYJIN, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW AND SCRUB THOSE FLOORS!" I yelled, face red.  
  
First, I saw his little feet drop from a branch, followed by a body clothed in an awkward looking kimono, and a head full of spiky raven-colored hair. He was groaning.  
  
"Ah, I've gotta do everything around here, don't I?!"  
  
I frowned, then replied sarcastically, "Oh yes Yahiko, you're such a slave." Followed by a rolling of my eyes.  
  
"Don't do that!"  
  
"Just get to work, Yahiko-Chan."  
  
"DON'T CALL ME CHAN!!!!" He shouted back as he stomped away to do the chores. Worked every time. I laughed teasingly, putting one hand over my mouth.  
  
Once Yahiko was out of sight, and it seemed I was alone, I calmed down, and inhaled deeply. The sky was very promising that day.  
  
"What a beautiful morning!" I said to myself, letting out a little yawn.  
  
"That it is, Kaoru-dono."  
  
I jumped, as Kenshin joined me in the backyard from the dojo. He had startled me.  
  
"Oh, Kenshin, it's only you..."  
  
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you, Miss Kaoru."  
  
"It's alright Kenshin. So tell me, what did that new police officer want, uhm, Mr. Yamaguchi?"  
  
"He said that he was glad I was on their side, that's all."  
  
"I see. So what do you want to do about dinner tonight?"  
  
"Hmm...I suppose I could go get some tofu from the market..."  
  
"Nonsense! We'll eat out, my treat! Beef stew!" - I smiled happily.  
  
"Oro?" Kenshin replied smugly. "Who said anything about beef stew....?"  
  
He reluctantly followed me as I walked around the dojo to find Yahiko and Dr. Gensai. He feared my bokken, I'm sure, so said nothing of the stew...  
  
Later...  
  
I just couldn't get to sleep that night. I had a horrible feeling that something was wrong. So I went to the porch. Kenshin was already there, sitting with his feet over the edge. I wondered how uncomfortable it must be, sitting on the ledge like that.  
  
"Couldn't sleep?" He asked, even before I opened the thin rice paper panel door.  
  
"I guess not...May I join you?"  
  
"Of course." He replied as I walked out the door and sat down beside him. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I had first imagined it to be. As a matter of fact, I felt very good, just sitting here under the stars with Kenshin, in the middle of spring. A warm breeze touched off the setting perfectly, sending a few flowers from the cherry blossom tree whirling to the ground. I sighed with pleasure, and leaned back a bit. The night was perfectly silent and wonderful. I reveled in the beauty of the moment. The silence was interrupted by Kenshin.  
  
"Miss Kaoru...Could I tell you something?"  
  
I was taken aback. Kenshin was opening up to me? This was new. It must have been important. For some reason, I was scared to ask, but nonetheless, I did anyway.  
  
"What is it, Kenshin?"  
  
"Something that I have been holding in for a very long while now. For eleven years or so..."  
  
I was getting worried now. He was obviously talking about something that had happened during his man slaying days, but I couldn't see what had driven him to tell me now.  
  
"Kenshin...Is something wrong?"  
  
He sighed. "Miss Kaoru, I need to tell you this now before it's too late."  
  
"But Kenshin, what are you talking about? Too late for what?"  
  
"When I lived in Kyoto...during the Bakumatsu...I killed many men."  
  
"I know." I replied quietly, lowering my head.  
  
"One night, while I was assassinating a man, I met a woman. She was just standing there on the street. Then she passed out, from drunkenness, I suppose. I took her to the inn I was staying at with the other people of my clan who were fighting for a revolution. I remember my own surprise at seeing her after I had just killed the man. It's burned into my memory. The rain, mixing with blood... All so clear. Her name was Tomoe."  
  
"But...I still don't understand. Why are you telling me this?"  
  
"Because over time, I grew to love this woman, Tomoe, even though I really wasn't supposed to."  
  
I took in a deep breath. Kenshin had once loved someone? Why had this never occurred to me before? This was really making me nervous.  
  
"I did love her so much. But then one morning, I woke to find that someone had taken her from me. And that she had...betrayed me. I couldn't believe it, yet I had to know. So I went to the mountains, where she was being held.  
  
"I went to the woods, because that's where I was told to go. I had to get her back. I fought many people, and by the time I reached Tomoe, my sword was stained with blood. I was very tired but there was still one more man, the man that had my Tomoe."  
  
I tried to interrupt, but Kenshin silenced me. I did NOT want to hear this... He continued, though.  
  
"As the fight began, I was losing. He had the upper hand, for I was so tired. But right when he was about to deliver the last blow, I had a small surprise for him. I knew the result of it would be instant death for him.  
  
"But, as my sword was unsheafed and we were coming at each other, both with God-like speed, as if in slow motion, Tomoe was there. Perhaps she feared for my life? I could never know. My sword sliced through her, and the hired assassin that was my target. I couldn't slow down, and didn't realize what had happened until the purple sash I had brought, her purple sash, fell from my face, and her bloody body was revealed to me. The man seemed dead, yet Tomoe held on to the bit of life she had left. I held her body in my arms. Out of the Obi of her kimono, she pulled a dagger. I hoped that she would take me with her, but she didn't. Instead she carved yet another scar into my cheek, creating an X. "  
  
At this time I had tears streaming down my face. How had this happened? I felt so bad for everything I had ever done to Kenshin...  
  
He took a deep breath, and then he continued. I could see tears in his own eyes, too.  
  
"I just let her scar me. Then... Then she was gone. Gone forever. Reality began to sink in. I didn't know what to do. So I simply picked her up and buried her. It was all I could do at the moment. My mind was in shambles.  
  
"I knew I had just killed my only love, and nothing else. I soon became a Rurouni, wandering Japan."  
  
I drew in a deep breath. "Kenshin, why did you tell me that?! I told you, anything that happened in your past was really not important!" I cried. I felt broken. But I noticed my words were a bit harsh, when I looked at Kenshin's face. He looked broken too. He had just poured out the story of his lost love to me, and here I sat, criticizing him. What a great friend.  
  
"I'm sorry Kenshin." I said, turning away then.  
  
"Miss Kaoru, look at me. There is one last thing that I've been leading up to."  
  
I looked back into his eyes. They seemed hesitant, as if this was the thing that he really dreaded telling.  
  
"In the night, a man came to talk to me."  
  
A man had come to talk? What was he talking about?  
  
"The Imperial government has fallen, Miss Kaoru. It has completely fallen."  
  
Now I was really confused. I'd never been so confused in my whole life.  
  
"The Imperial government has fallen? Please, just stop being so irrational! What are you talking about?"  
  
"What I'm saying is, the man needs me. Japan needs me. A man, more powerful than any I have ever fought, has indeed risen. They struck last night and killed almost all of the government officials! In only one night! This man, Jikotsu Shindawaru has horrible men stationed throughout Japan. And... and they want me to defeat him."  
  
I gasped. "But Kenshin! You can't! I'm afraid if you... if you..." I started to sob, and grabbed to his clothes, trying to grab something, anything to keep me from falling down into this deep pit that was suddenly swallowing me up. "If you fight another like... like Shishio, then... you won't be able to make it Kenshin!"  
  
He sighed, and looked at me. His face, it held so much... sadness. I released him.  
  
"I have to, Miss Kaoru. You know this is the only way for me to atone for the horrible crimes I have committed?"  
  
"What, by killing yourself!?" I shouted, tears flooding the scene.  
  
"You simply cannot understand. And I cannot stay much longer, to help you understand. So, hear these words. Please don't allow yourself to follow me this time. You are strong, indeed, but..."  
  
"And now I can't even come with you? I can't even come to see you... Must I lay here in isolation while you're giving your life to Japan?" I spat at him, anger in my voice now.  
  
"I don't want to lose you, like I lost Tomoe." Kenshin said. There was calmness in his eyes. He was smiling faintly, but it was full of sorrow, I could tell.  
  
At this, I couldn't help it anymore. I started weeping. I cried more than I ever had. It was a funny thing, Kenshin was probably the one who made me do things I never had, the most. And so I cried harder, like there was no tomorrow.  
  
The sun would never rise again in this dark place. There was no need to try grabbing something; I had already hit bottom. And Kenshin was lost to me forever...  
  
"But I promise you Kaoru, I will be back. Even if I have to flee the battle field with bleeding wounds, you will see me again before my death. I will be back when the cherry blossoms begin to fall, Miss Kaoru. So please, please stop crying tears for me..." He reached up and wiped the tears from my face. "Please...?"  
  
"But...but...but Kenshin, please don't forget! Don't forget that this is where you are loved, where you belong! Because this time..." I paused, and thought about what to say. "Though everyone is counting on you, and sometimes... it probably feels like you're about to break from the weight of this world perched on your shoulders, I.... don't forget me..." My tears stopped flowing for a moment.  
  
"Look at this tree." I got up and took his hand, leading him to the cherry tree, which was not that far from the porch. We looked up at its green buds and leaves, so bland, but soon to be dazzling.  
  
"Soon they will all bloom and grow into beautiful flowers. But only for a short time! Then they die, and fall. This reminds me of life. It is so short and precious. That's why... I cannot live without you here by my side, safe. Because you are so precious to me. If you never came back... Well, let's just say I wouldn't be able to live with that...."  
  
"Miss Kaoru, don't talk like that..."  
  
I was getting bolder, and felt a bit more confident.  
  
"Because I love you Kenshin. I love you so much, okay? I always have. So come home to me; I'd wait forever for you. But you also must keep in mind that as I wait, I am immobile. I am dead without you, that's how strong my love is. Now please... tell me that you have always felt the same?"  
  
I looked deep into his eyes, and saw quite a hurt. What had I said wrong?  
  
"Miss Kaoru... There are many things that you may never understand, about me. You see, I learned long ago, that if a love is declared one day, it is shattered the next. So you see, the next day is already decided, fated to be the day of a dying love. I need to choose for myself, the path that tomorrow holds..."  
  
My heart fell. All traces of bold confidence were gone. Kenshin had just taken my heart and thrown it on the ground, stepping on it.  
  
"However, I have decided one thing. I will be back; to tell you what exactly I have chosen for tomorrow to hold..."  
  
I held my head high with hope and faith. This last comment had boosted my spirits, a slight bit. And I smiled an odd, half smile, as he walked away from me that night. I knew he didn't touch me like before, because then he would not have been able to bear it. But I did know he would return to me.  
  
"And to tell the truth, that's basically all. I don't know how to put it in better words than that. I know stories have happy endings, which is what I'm hoping for..."  
  
"Not all stories... but really, I would like to hear the ending for this one."  
  
"It spans out so long though! Years!"  
  
"Summarize it... you don't have to if you don't want..."  
  
"Very well..."  
  
The next morning, I told everyone of Kenshin's leaving. The conversation was kept to me; a personal thing... They all seemed so sad, and Sano even angry that he had not gone as well... I told them not to worry, because our Kenshin would return soon...  
  
Suddenly in the newspaper, there were constant reports about the war that had been raging between the government and Jikotsu. Jikotsu seemed to be winning, and the days passed wearily on, with no sign of Kenshin in person, or in the papers.  
  
These gloomy days turned to weeks. The cherry blossoms bloomed and grew, still with no sign of Kenshin.  
  
The weeks turned to months, and he did not return. The cherry blossoms fell, and a promise was broken. I longed to see his face once more, and his small but warming laughter echoed through my head.  
  
The months turned even to years. The dojo began to get old, as did everything in it. Sano, Megumi, and everyone visited me and Yahiko, but it just wasn't the same without Kenshin.  
  
In our little middle Japan, the war still tore on, with no sign of stopping anytime soon. Though many battles had been fought and won by the Imperialists, they yet became weaker, and weaker...  
  
Then one day, as we were practicing our swordsmanship, Yahiko suddenly stopped.  
  
"Hey Kaoru... thanks for everything."  
  
I was utterly surprised, for Yahiko wasn't exactly an admirer of mine.  
  
"What do you mean? Thanks for what?"  
  
"Thanks for letting me stay at your dojo here, with you and, Kenshin. I really appreciate it you know..."  
  
"I don't understand, what are you trying to say to me?"  
  
Yahiko sighed, and looked away. He didn't make eye contact with me anymore these days.  
  
"Kaoru, I wanna be a hero. I wanna serve my country, like Kenshin! That way I can prove my loyalty to everyone! Kaoru, don't you understand! This is my chance! So... to put it simply... I'm going off to fight in the war!"  
  
I was shocked; I stood there gaping at him, without a word. I dropped my bokken, and fell to my knees, wrapping my arms around him.  
  
"You can't just leave me like that!" I cried. "You can't just leave me like Kenshin did!"  
  
"My train leaves tomorrow. I'm going to be stationed on the outskirts of Yokohama. Heh... I've talked to Sano about it. Said he didn't want to fight for the Imperialist pigs."  
  
His attempts to lighten the mood only made me cry harder. Finally, he simply wrapped his arms around me, and stood there as I slid to the ground, clutching his kimono as if it were the last piece of life I held to. I don't know how long he just sat there with me.  
  
Soon enough, he got up, and practically dragged me in the house. The next day, I woke up, thinking it was all a bad dream. But Yahiko was gone.  
  
All I ever did was mope anymore. I think Megumi would have said something, hadn't she thought that Kenshin was dead. In the beginning I was strong, and she didn't have to worry. But the years without him had done horrible things to me, and I think she knew that as well. So I asked Sano and Megumi to move in with me, hoping to drown my sorrows in the laughter and friendship we once shared. They were hesitant, but knew my condition, and ended up coming to live at my worn out home, no longer worthy of being called a dojo.  
  
My loneliness, however, hardly dwindled. Again, things weren't the same without Kenshin. I hadn't had any students in a very long time, and so some village people sent their sons and even a few daughters to help out, not to mention they wished to be able to defend themselves in this time of war.  
  
I had given up hope though.  
  
I cried my self to sleep at night, and didn't eat.  
  
I couldn't help it, and became thinner, wallowing in my depression.  
  
My days were spent concealing myself long enough to teach my students.  
  
I knew it in my heart.  
  
I was dying...  
  
And to this day, I wish I had died. Because every time I think of Kenshin, I know that he is dead. All I wanted was for us to live happy lives together. All I wanted was a place in his heart.  
  
But the war spread throughout the rest of Japan, to the littlest island shore. Jikotsu, the enemy, was said to be hiding away somewhere in Hokkaido while his army fought their battles, and was tracing Kenshin back to his home. Sano said there was nothing to worry about, though, that those were just rumors.  
  
One day, some strange men showed up at my dojo. They took me away, but not without a struggle! I used my bokken to defeat quite a few of them, but they had no honor and surrounded me. Their numbers defeated my strength. Sano came out, probably at all the commotion and noise, and started to fight. It was obvious that they had the upper hand, because of the quantity of men there were, but Sano kept fighting. I yelled at him, asking why he did this. To this day I remember the words he said...  
  
"I made a promise to myself that I would protect you until Kenshin came back!" He smiled. "If anything happened to you, I don't think I could forgive myself."  
  
He had faith! His hope renewed my own, and I fought harder.  
  
Of course, the men were no match for Sagara Sanosuke of the Seki-hotai, and Kamiya Kaoru of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, but while we were fighting, one of them picked me up and knocked me on the head. The last thing I remembered seeing was Sano struggling through the crowd to get to me...  
  
For days we traveled, and I didn't resist, hoping that this man might somehow lead me to Kenshin. Finally, though, we made it to this fort in the middle of nowhere. They question me daily, and receive no new information, but Jikotsu won't let me just die! And... And I guess that's the end of my story...  
  
Kaoru sighed, and lowered her head. Delicate looking hands reached up and stroked her face. She froze, not moving or breathing.  
  
"What a tragic story..."  
  
She flinched. "Who... who are you?!"  
  
The man who now shared a chamber with her pulled her close, so that her head rested on his shoulder. "Yes, tragic indeed, when you believe you've lost something that's so close... Look, Miss Kaoru, out the window. The cherry blossoms.... they're falling."  
  
Kaoru cried.  
  
She didn't have to ask who it was. She threw her arms around him and let every tear just slide out onto his shoulder. "You could never know how much I missed you, Kenshin!"  
  
"I love you, Kaoru."  
  
Kaoru cried harder. "I love you too! Oh god, how much I love you! You will never know! I love you more than the earth, the sun, the breeze!"  
  
Even Kenshin began to cry. Because love is such a powerful thing. It can bring you to your knees, and pick you right back up again in a humble embrace.  
  
It's with love, that as bombs were flying, swords were clashing, guns firing, that these two small beings might be able to enjoy a moment of their lives.  
  
Hope comes anew, and the love brings them joy and faith.  
  
Maybe the war should end one day? Maybe the government will crumble. It wouldn't matter, as long as they had love.  
  
However.  
  
Only death is the cold wind that blows out the flames of love forever. And...  
  
The cherry blossoms keep falling.  
  
A/N: How did you like it? I hope you did! Okay, before you flame, I want to make one thing clear. At a lot of points in the story, Kaoru's personality seemed completely altered. You must keep in mind some of the cause and affect in the story. Yes, I said, "affect", not "effect". Deal. After Kenshin leaves (And during their talk!), Kaoru becomes weaker and sadder, seems more anxious and nervous all the time. Then when she's in the interrogation camp, her personality changes again, hardening her against much emotion. This is why the sudden burst of sadness and happiness at the end is so essential to the story. Just a note, so that you would know! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! He he, and for those of you who are reading my story "Memories Long Untouched".... I HAVE SERIOUS WRITER'S BLOCK! Sorry! But I'm sure I can get the chapter soon! Please forgive me! Anyway, that's all for now, this is Aki, bidding you, adieu. 


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